Machine for washing ball bearings



Sept. 20, 1932. s. o. HODGE MACHINE FDR WASHING BALL BEARINGS Filed Nov.l7, 1 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

9s 0 M a BY &0; V ATTORNEYS.

Sept. 20, 1932. G. o. HODGE MACHINE FOR WASHING BALL BEARINGS Filed NOV.1'7, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 II I II I m I I ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 20, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GEORGE ORVIL HODGE,F PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO STANDARD STEEL AND BEARINGS,INC., OF PLAINVILLE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION maonnvn :a'on wasnmeBALL nnanmes Application filed November 17, 1928. Serial No. 320,164.

My invention relates to improvements in washing ball-bearings, involvingthe use of a flow of oil under pressure, and the object of myimprovement is simplicity and economy in construction and convenienceand efliciency in use by the use of a machine having a revolving tablestructure having aplurality of stations at which the washin is eifectedand by means that are substantially automatic, whereby the duties of theoperator are confined to the removal of the washed bearings andsupplying the bearings to be washed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine16 for washing ball-bearings embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of the same from the side of the operator,showing the lifting cam and the adjacent parts.

Figure 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 4-4 ofFig. 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view on a further enlarged scale showingdetails of one of the 2 cylinders and'the upper clamping member.

Figure '6 is a fragmentary view showing the liftin cam.

Figure is a fragmentary sectional view showing the control valve.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view showing the racks for rotating thelower clampin member.

Figure 9 is a side elevation showing one of the lower clamping members.

My improvement in washing ball-bearings involves the use Of! machinethat is equipped with a pluralitvgof "pairs of mating clamping membersthathold the bearings byengaging respectively with the inner and theouter rings; that is supplied with a flow of cleansing oil underpressure; that has means for separating said members for permitting ofthe removal of the washed bearing and the insertion of anotherbearingthat isto washed; that has automatically operating means for engagingthe inserted bearing and for holding the same during the washingoperation; such engagement and holding of the bearing involving theutilization of the oil flow and the pressure to which it is pump 69.receives the cleansing oil through the base 22.

' Above the supply pipe 71 the tank 21 is provided with a dischargeopening 72 that subjected during such flow; and in which the clampingmembers are constructed and arranged for operation upon bearings thatvary apprecia ly in size so that the range thereof will comprise,substantially that which will be included in the standard run andout-put as usually found under ordinary conditions of manufacture. a Themachine comprises, as shown, eighteen pans of clamping members,respectively composed of the lower member 10 and the upper member 11.The lower member 10 has a conical face 12 for the major portion of thestructure of the clamping portion proper or engaging portion and whichis adapted to receive and support the inner ring of the bearing by beingentered into the opening therein and which conical face 12 suflices forthe greater portion of the product. For particularly diminutivebearings,- -however, a cylindrical tip 13 is provided at the apex of theconical face 12.

The upper member 11 is generally the counter-part of the lower member 10as to the clamping portion proper or engaging portion 14, beinggenerally in the form of a hollov cane. b b

ai u er mem er operates y engaging with the dizter ring and the holdingis effected automatically responsive to the pressure of the cleansingoil as it is delivered to and passes through the machine.

The clamping members are incorporated in the structure of turn-table 15,the middle member or shaft 16 of which is in the form of 85 a tube ofrelatively large size and through which the cleansing oil flowsintermediate a pump and said clamping members. A centrifugal pump 69gives good results. Said a receiving pipe 70 and delivers the samethrough a pipe 71 to the housing and supporting tank 21, the deliverybeing located at the lower portion of the tank, adjacent serves as theoutlet for the used oil or other cleansing liquid.

The clamping members are supported from 1 the tube 16 by a spiderconstruction having 'arms for the respective clamping members per end ofthe tank 21 is a seat 24 for a ballbearing 25 that serves asthe mainbearing for the tube 16 and the turn-table 15.

The lower end portion 26 of the tube .16 is connected by a gland-joint27 with a fixed sleeve 28 that projects unwardly from the base 22 andwhichby means of a laterally directed opening is connected with theinner end of the tank-enclosed portion 29 of the pump delivery pipe 71.

Power is applied through the medium of bevel-gearing 30 at the inner endof a driveshaft 31, the outer end portion of which is operativelyconnected by suitable gearing 32 with the motor 33.

Branch tubes 34 lead from the upper end portion 35 of the main tube 16to the upper clamping members 11, the actual connection for said branchtubes being with a cylinder that is provided for each of said clampingmembers. The inlet 37 for each cylinder 36 is above the piston 38 andthesaid piston is provided with a stem 39 of tubular form that servesboth as a mechanical connection with the upper clamping member 11 andalso as a delivery tube for deliverin the cleansing oil thereto. Thestem 39 projects downwardly through a bearing housing 40 and the upperclamping member 11 is mounted at the lower end thereof.

Thus the upper clamping member 11 is supported for vertical to and fromovement toward and away from the clamping position and is adapted to bedriven towards such clamping position and to eflect a hold on thebearing after gripping the same by the liquid pressure under conditionsof oil flow by reason of the excess of area of the piston 38 relativelyto the bore of the tubular stem 39.

The lifting of the upper clamping member 11 for releasing the bearing iseffected through the medium of a track-cam orriser 41 that, as shown,cooperates with a contacting roller 42 that is operatively supportedfrom the side of the stem 39 through the medium of a bracket 43.

The cam 41 has an inclined portion 44 on the approach side; has anabrupt drop portion 45 on the leaving side; and intermediate said sideshas a flat portion 46 on which the roller 42 rides during the period inwhich the washed bearing is removed and the un-washed bearing issupplied.

In the present structure the flat holding portion 46 corresponds inlength to the angle comprised by two adjacent cleansing stations.

During the period that a particu ar upper clamping member 11 is heldout'of commission as a clamping device in the manner described the flowof oil to the same is interrupted.

The manner of doing this comprises the use of a valve 47 that covers thecorresponding outlet opening 48 at the upper end portion 35 of'the maintube 16. The interior of said upper end portion 35 is finished incylindrical form for serving as a path for face-to-face contact with thevalve 47. As the tube structure 16 is rotated the valve 47 is brou htsuccessively into registration with the di erent outlet openings 48, theborder walls of which serve as valve seats.

As mentioned, two cleansing stations are shut-ofl' at a time, thevalVe47 being of suf ficient angular extent to cover two adjacent deliveryopenings 48 of clamping members 11 above the cam portions 44 and 46.

Incorporated in the structure of the valve 47 is a plug or bridge plate49 that extends across the top end of the main tube 16, said valve 47and plate 49 being parts of a single casting '50.

The casting 50 is held in place by means of a rod 51 that extendsdownwardly therefrom and is axially positioned within the main tube 16.The bottom end of the rod 51 is entered into a boss or socket 52 at thebottom of the fixed sleeve 28.

The lower clamping member 10 is fixed as to elevation and is mounted forrotation, being provided with a stem 53 that projects downwardly througha bearing housing 54. At the lower end of the stem 53 is a spur gear 55that serves as the means for effecting rotation, by engaging with acooperating rack structure.

I prefer to have the rotating means constructed and arranged so as toprovide alternate rotation in opposite directions. Means for so doingare provided in the present instance by having said rack structuresubdivided, comprising parts on opposite sides of the gear 55. As shown,there are twelve diminutive racks, comprising the outside racks 56 thatalternate with the inside racks 57.

As the gear 55 leaves the rack 56 on the outer side it immediately makesoperative connection with the rack 57 on the inner side and so onalternately.

The twelve racks are composed of two pairs, each pair comprising anoutside rack .56 and an inside rack 57, and these are spacedequi-distant one from the next one circumferentially, but they do notfill the circumferential space, in that the racksare omitted from theoperators station.

The racks aresupported from a fixed partof the frame, the actual supportbeing an annular plate member 58 that is positioned just below the 'earswith which they cooperate.

The rac s are individually supported by means of a pivot 59 b theleaving end at which the gear 55 brea s the operative connection, andsaid racks are thus mounted so as to swing back and forth in ahorizontal plane. I

At the approach end of each rack is a s ring 60 that tends to swing therack towards the operating-position and for limiting such movement thereis a fixed stop 61 that cooperates with a pin 62 on the rack.

The outside racks 56 are straight and the inside racks 57 are curved asshown.

It will be noted that the structure described permits of the parts beingconstructed and arranged so that the bearing operated upon is floodedwith oil or whatever cleansing liquid may be used and quite thoroughlywashed before the bearing rotating devices are brought into operation.

I claim as my invention 1. In apparatus for washing ball bearings bymeans of a flow of cleansing liquid, upper and lower clamping membersfor engagin respectively the bearing rings, one of sai members beingsupported for rotation and means in the form of a pinion on said lastnamed member and an interrupted rack structure operating upon said lastnamed member intermittently so as to effect such rotation withintermediate periods of interruption of such rotation.

2. In apparatus for washing ball bearings by means of a flow ofcleansing liquid as described in claim 1, a second interrupted rackstructure operating substantially like the first mentioned interruptedrack structure and alternating therewith for effecting rotation of saidmember in the reverse direction.

3. In apparatus for washing ball bearings, a turntable mounted forrotation provided with a spider-arm that carries a bearing, a clampingmember having a shaft that is housed for rotation in said bearing, acontact face structure for engaging with a bearing-ring and a spur gearon said shaft, 2. movably mounted rack element on one side of the pathof said spur gear during part only i of the rotative movement of theturn-table for cooperating therewith for effecting rotation of saidshaft and the contact face structure supported thereby, and spring meansin back of said rack element whereby said element is adapted to yieldduring the operative making of engagement of said spur gear with saidrack.

4. In apparatus for washing ball bearings as described in claim 3 asecond rack element spaced from said first mentioned ele ment andoperative likewise and in substantially a similar manner to effect suchrotation of the shaft and contact face structure.

5. In apparatus for washing ball bearings 'lar structure that issupported for rotation,

as described in claim 3 a second rack element spaced from said firstmentioned element and positioned on the opposite side of said pathoperative to effect rotation of said shaft and contact face structure inthe op posite direction.

6. In apparatus for washing ball bearings by means of a flow ofcleansing liquid, lower and upper clamping members for engagingrespectively with the rings of a bearing, means for delivering liquid toa hearing held between said members, and said upper member comprising ahollow cone that projects generally downwardly and outwardly from acentral support to a sufficient extent so as to overhang the opposedlower clamping member and a ball bearing mounted thereon under operatingconditions and thus positively operate to shed all splashed liquid flowgenerally downward and away from the upper side of said upper clampingmember. 7. In apparatus for washing ball bearings by means of a flow ofcleansing liquid, a turntable comprising a vertically elongatedtubuspider-arms radiating from said structure, and bearing clampingmembers supported from said arms, ducts radiating from the upper endportion of said tubular structure for delivering liquid from theinterior of said tubular structure to said members, said ductsconnecting by their inner ends with apertures in the side wall of thetubular structure, a stationary rodpositioned axially along the interiorof said tubular structure, and a valve projecting radially from said rodfor periodically covering said apertures during rotation of saidturn-table.

8. In apparatus for washing ball bearings, a bearing clamping member acylinder connected to a source of cleanslng liquid and a piston therein,said clamping member having a contact face structure for engaging with abearing part, and a stem of tubular form serving to mechanically connectsaid piston and member and opening by its ends respectively at theintake side of the piston and at said contact face structure wherebywith such cleansing liquid delivered tosaid cylinder under pressuresimultaneously thefcleansing liquid pressure operates to drive saidpiston and cleansing liquid. is delivered to said member.

9. In apparatus for washing ball bearings, a turn-table structurecomprising a set 12( of radial arms that support bearing clampingdevices arranged in pairs as lower and mm M" 7 means for thedistribution of liquid to said members at the up er end and valve meansatsaid upper end or periodically checking such distribution.

10. In apparatus for washing ball bearings, a lower clamping member ofgenerally conical form for receiving the inner ring of a bearing, anupper clamping member for engaging with the outer ring of said bearing,said upper member being of invertedhollow conical form, and providedwith means for supplying cleansing liquid, said upper member beingrelatively large for engaging with varied sizes of bearings and also forserving as a liquid shed for deflecting the liquid downwardly, and thesaid lower clamping member only being provided with means for beingrotated under conditions of use.

11. In apparatus for washing ball bearings as described in claim 10 theapex portion of said lower clamping member being in the form of acylindrical tip for supporting small sizes of bearings for washing.

12. An apparatus for washing ball bearings, comprising bearingsupporting devices comprising a lower member for engaging with one ofthe rings of the bearing and an upper member for engaging with the otherring thereof, a cylinder positioned above said upper member, a piston insaid cylinder and having a tubular stem opening into the cylinderthereabove, said stem being connected to said upper member, and meansfor supplying cleansing liquid under pressure to said cylinder abovesaid piston, whereby simultaneously the cleansing liquid pressureoperates to drive said piston and cleansing liquid is delivered to saidupper member.

13. In apparatus for Washing ball bearings, a turn-table that comprisesa vertically elongated axially located tubular .structure that serves asthe mechanical axle of the turn-table structure and also as the deliverymeans for liquid cleansing solution, a nonrotary rod rigidly supportedalong the axis of said axle, the wall of said tubular structure beingprovided with perforations for eiiecting distribution of such liquid, avalve supported by said rod for periodically covering such perforations,a bridge structure above said valve and supported by said rod extendingacross the interior of said tubular structure and a supply inlet forsaid tubular structure located below said valve.

GEORGE ORVIIL HODGE.

